Pelosi aide knew of EIT use in 2003

You really have to dig this morning to find the Washington Post story by Paul Kane which reports that Nancy Pelosi’s top aide, Michael Sheehy, was told by the CIA that Enhanced Interogation Techniques were being used on certain detainees;

Pelosi has insisted that she was not directly briefed by Bush administration officials that the practice was being actively employed. But Michael Sheehy, a top Pelosi aide, was present for a classified briefing that included Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), then the ranking minority member of the House intelligence committee, at which agency officials discussed the use of waterboarding on terrorism suspect Abu Zubaida.

Previously, Pelosi claimed that the legal ramifications of techniques, but that she hadn’t been told the EITs were actually in use. In yesterday’s post, I wrote that the techinques were used before the briefing, and that it was unlikely she wasn’t told at that point. now we have a record that her top aide was told directly. Think he forgot to tell her?

A Democratic source acknowledged yesterday that it is almost certain that Pelosi would have learned about the use of waterboarding from Sheehy.

Yeah, me neither. of course, Pelosi use the language that she wasn’t told directly – but then why send aides to briefings? Pete Hoekstra is seeking any notes the CIA may have in regards to those briefings;

In a letter to Hoekstra, CIA Director Leon Panetta said the classified memos describing what was said at each briefing would be available at CIA headquarters for review by congressional staff, according to an agency official.

I’m pretty sure Hoekstra won’t find anything after the Panetta CIA gets done doing a Sandy Berger on those notes. CNN quotes Pelosi statement released to the press yesterday;

“As reported in the press, a cover letter from CIA Director Panetta accompanying the briefings memo released this week concedes that the descriptions provided by the CIA may not be accurate.”

Sneaky damn spies, taking inaccurate notes knowing that they’d need to beat up Pelosi four years before she became the Speaker.

Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Liberals suck, Usual Suspects